‘Yin Yoga’ for Trauma and Addiction Recovery

An article in the Los Angeles Times describes what is called a rising trend among yoga enthusiasts in the West: so-called yin yoga. Practitioners of yin yoga focus on holding the same pose for extended periods of time, anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes. While this is by no means a new concept in the thousands of years of yoga history, practitioners say it is a more mindful and meditative style of yoga compared with the more dynamic yoga typically practiced in the West.

What’s interesting, though, is that proponents of yin yoga say it has particular benefits for survivors of traumatic experiences as well as those dealing with addiction. The idea, they say, is that when holding poses for long stretches at a time, the practitioner learns how to handle periods of discomfort and strong sensations. The practitioner can then apply the same techniques when faced with a craving for a substance or a bout of anxiety.

The article doesn’t present any scientific studies to corroborate these claims, only anecdotal testimony from yoga instructors:

“Because much of the stretching is done when the body is cooler — as opposed to yang yoga, in which the muscles have been warmed up — the resulting discomfort helps train the nervous system to be less reactive to the stress of a stretch,” said Kelly McGonigal, a yoga instructor and psychologist at Stanford University and the editor of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy.

While it’s probably too early to tell if such claims are true, the method certainly seems to hold promise for those recovering from addiction or trauma.

In 2016, Dori Digenti began offering yoga to those dealing with addiction recovery and release from incarceration. Breathing Space Yoga & Mindfulness Studio was founded in Holyoke, Massachusetts in June 2017 and offers free classes for those receiving benefits, and donation-based classes. Why do you feel it is important for this community to practice yoga? Modern science, […]